My friends clown me for the way I pronounce certain words. I'm black and from the east coast. To me it's regular but, when I get around certain folks they try to correct me. I'm a college graduate, but don't want to seem uneducated. Any advice?

I mispronounced words all the time and get teased for it. It doesn't bother me because I'm smart. Mispronouncing words doesn't necessarily mean we're not intelligent. It just means we mispronounce words on occasion. The next time someone corrects you and does so politely, just act fascinated and say, "I didn't know I was saying it wrong all this time. Thanks for that." Then, keep the conversation going.